The teacher librarian is in a unique position to directly impact student achievement and collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists to meet academic goals. Therefore it is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills. School librarians are charged with working with all types of personalities in the school environment, and if they are going to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, their expectations, and their approach to teaching. Understanding and capitalizing on the strengths and attitudes of the school principal can also make or break the collaborative environment. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. The school librarian must also make interpersonal connections with teaching staff and with other individuals in the school community in order to build relationships that will affect change. Through collaboration, the teacher librarian can provide positive learning experiences, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
School librarians can and should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community, and for the benefit of increasing student achievement. Efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective in establishing collaborative relationships may lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process. Paula, an elementary principal, asserts “Collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ academic achievement.”
McGregor and other authors assert that many teachers are still unfamiliar with or intimidated by the librarian’s role as a collaborator. Therefore it is important that the librarian expend energy to initiate collaborative efforts and also continually reflect upon collaborative experiences in planning for the next endeavor. After completing the readings and reviewing the testimonials we reflected on what the librarians at our schools do to connect with teachers. We believe a school librarian can begin to collaborate with colleagues by initiating an open approach to build collaborative relationships. A testimonial by Kelly, a high school English student teacher, indicates that the role of the collaboration is more than just pulling books off the shelf. She comments on the importance of the teacher librarian who “helps develop guidelines for projects and remains actively engaged with the teacher in helping students to complete research or in presenting evidence of their new knowledge.”
Collaborative teaching experiences between classroom teachers, specialists, and the librarian are beneficial to student achievement because the teacher and school librarian can work together to ensure that information searches and curriculum content areas are related. Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they want to find out in the real world. The goal of teaching information literacy skills is to provide children with the means to pursue life-long learning. If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek, and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive connections and valuable contributions to the learning process.
McGregor states that initiating leadership by building collaborative relationships can be relatively simple. Ideally, the simplest connections will lead to word-of-mouth and enthusiasm among the school community. Teachers will often welcome collaborative efforts and seek additional ways for the school librarian to assist them in meeting curriculum and district learning standards. The school librarian can: · Visit the teachers’ lounge or have lunch with various staff members and engage in informal conversations about opportunities to work on collaborative projects. · Initiate collaborative efforts with friends at the start of the school year, and branch out with efforts to engage new teachers as a mentoring endeavor. · Obtain a curriculum map for each grade level to stay abreast of the content areas covered in each grade level classroom. This provides the librarian with an “anchor” from which to launch collaborative projects. · Attend monthly grade level meetings to connect content areas being studied in a particular grade level, and gather evidence regarding student deficiencies and ways to address achievement concerns. This creates an opportunity to discuss various ways in which the school librarian can become involved in projects that may boost student achievement. · Provide staff development with regard to new technologies and effective ways to implement their use with students. This effort is crucial in providing a support network for teachers unfamiliar with technology that is available and appropriate for classroom use. These are just the first steps, but they are important to initiating collaboration and creating a stronger sense of collegiality in a school setting. A testimonial by Pat, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher, confirms that “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum. Diane, a high school art teacher affirms that “the teacher librarian has an impact on teacher professional development by helping the teacher integrate the research and writing process.”
As Harvey (2008) points out in “Collaboration Connections,” most careers require workers to collaborate and work with their colleagues. Johnson (2004) asserts that efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process. The learning and inquiry process needs to be consistently modeled in everyday classroom experiences. As a librarian it is imperative to collaborate with teachers and help students learn how to conduct effective research strategies. The inquiry process and information literacy skills are meant to be taught in tandem, rather than isolation. If the curriculum content lends itself to research and inquiry, the librarian needs to be proactive and begin to initiate collaborative efforts with a few teachers and branch out from there. Hopefully, more teachers will be receptive to collaborative efforts and ask for the librarian’s input and help.
Works Cited
Hartzell, Gary N. Building Influence for the School Librarian. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1994. (Needs Assessment, pp. 144-145) Harvey II, Carl A. (2008). Collaboration connections. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(9) 2008. 20-22. Johnson, D. (2004). Proactivity and reflection: Tools to improve collaborative experiences. Minnesota Media. Retrieved May 28, 2010 from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/collaboration-and-reflection.html.
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B. K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf)
Zmuda, A., and V. H. Harada. The Learning Specialist: Clarifying the Role of Library Media Specialists. In Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century, 2008. 23 – 43.
Summary Draft 2
Collaboration between librarians and classroom teachers has numerous benefits for students, teachers, and administrators. It is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills in order to foster effective collaborative relationships. School librarians are charged with working alongside all types of personalities on a campus. If they are to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, the students, and campus goals determined by the principal. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. Everyone in the school environment profits from collaboration, especially the students.
Students are a direct beneficiary of librarian and classroom teacher collaboration. By working and teaching together, students are able to receive more individualized attention (Kindergarten teacher - Peg). As evidenced in “Coteaching Strategies,” it also allows students to see teachers collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in the shared teaching experience, which are the skills we would like our students to have (Moreillon). We expect our students to be able to apply these skills with their peers; though they rarely get to see their teachers model it. In the collaborative experience, students get to see collaboration in action and have the opportunity to put it into practice within their group projects.
Furthermore, by connecting classroom learning to the library, students are able to delve deeper into concepts and topics being learned (Moreillon 8). Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they find out in the real world. Through collaborating with classroom teacher and working with all students, the teacher librarian is able to teach students how to find the answers to their questions, utilizing print and online resources (3rd grade teacher - Judy P.). If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive contributions to the learning process. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of students acquiring the skills they need to become life-long learners and pursuers of knowledge.
School librarians should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community, as well as the primary goal of increasing student achievement. Classroom and specialist teachers are largely unaware of the benefits of collaborating with their school librarian. McGregor suggests ways the librarian can initiate these relationships (pg?) Once a collaborative partnership is established and carried out, teachers and librarians will notice the benefits. One such benefit is having a partner to plan projects with from start to finish. In Kelly’s, a high school student teacher, experience, she had the opportunity to work with a teacher librarian on developing the ideas for a project, creating rubrics and materials, and assessing student work. For many teachers, this is usually done in isolation. Partnering with the teacher-librarian lightens the load and allows each professional to utilize his or her strengths in the project process. Additionally, collaborating with a partner allows for fresh ideas to be shared and a building upon even general ideas for lessons and projects. Such was the case with Sherri, a high school English teacher. She went to her teacher-librarian with the vague suggestion of doing digital storytelling. Her librarian was able to plan and collaborate with Sherri from the beginning to the end.
For specialist teachers, teacher-librarians can assist in creating research opportunities to complement the Art, Music, or P.E. instruction. Tracy, an elementary Art teacher, comments that collaboration “expanded instruction.” Diane, a high school Art teacher, remarks that the librarian “helps the teacher integrate research and writing processes across the curriculum.” With more demands being placed on classroom teachers and a seemingly shorter amount of time, working across the curriculum maximizes instructional time in the classroom and library.
Professional development is vital to teachers and librarians. Professional development is embedded in the collaborative relationship between these two parties (Moreillon 9). Pat, a 7th grade social studies teacher, was able to learn alongside her students through the collaboration experience with her school librarian. She adds “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum.” According to the AASL, teacher librarians are responsible for being leaders on their campus (45). One way to demonstrate this is through “creating an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, resource-based learning, and collaboration with teaching staff” (45). Through collaboration, the teacher-librarian can provide positive learning experiences, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
In this age of accountability, librarians are uniquely poised to have a global perspective of the entire school and curriculum objectives (Elementary Principal - Paula). With this wide view of intended learning outcomes, the librarian is able to integrate “common strands of thought along the curriculum” (8th grade language arts teacher - Karen). According to Paula, an elementary principal, “collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ achievement.” Principals are held accountable for the results of the entire school. They should be able to look to the librarian to see how he or she can assist classroom teachers in achieving goals. Johnson asserts that efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process (pg.?).
Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: ALA, 2009. Print.
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B.K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf file)
Moreillon, Judi. Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.
Summary Draft 3
There are numerous benefits for students, teachers, and administrators when the teacher librarian and classroom teacher work together in collaborative relationships. It is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills in order to foster effective collaborative interactions. School librarians are charged with working alongside all types of personalities on a campus. If they are to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, the students, and campus goals determined by the principal. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. Everyone in the school environment profits from collaboration, especially the students.
Students are a direct beneficiary of librarian and classroom teacher collaboration. By partnering together, the teacher and librarian provide students with more individualized attention (Kindergarten teacher). As evidenced in “Co teaching Strategies,” it also allows students to see teachers collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in the shared teaching experience. These are the skills we would like our students to have, and we expect to see applied with their peers (Moreillon). In the collaborative experience, students see collaboration in action and have the opportunity to put it into practice within their group projects.
Furthermore, by connecting classroom learning to the library, students are able to delve deeper into concepts and topics being learned (Moreillon 8). Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they find out in the real world. By collaborating with the classroom teacher and working with all students, the teacher librarian is able to teach students how to find the answers to their questions, utilizing print and online resources (3rd grade teacher). If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive contributions to the learning process. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of students acquiring the skills they need to become life-long learners in pursuit of knowledge.
School librarians should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community and to increase student achievement. Classroom and specialist teachers appear to be largely unaware of the benefits of collaborating with their school librarian. Teachers and librarians will notice many benefits of collaborative partnerships, such as having a partner to plan projects with from start to finish. Kelly, a high school student teacher, shared her experience of having the opportunity to work with a teacher librarian on developing the ideas for a project, creating rubrics and materials, and assessing student work. For many teachers, this is usually done in isolation. Partnering with the teacher-librarian lightens the load and allows each professional to utilize his or her strengths in the project process.
Teacher librarians can assist specialist teachers in creating research opportunities to complement the Art, Music, or P.E. instruction. Tracy, an elementary Art teacher, comments that collaboration “expanded instruction.” Diane, a high school Art teacher, remarks that the librarian “helps the teacher integrate research and writing processes across the curriculum.” There are more demands being placed on classroom teachers and a seemingly shorter amount of time allotted to meet academic standards. When teachers work together across the curriculum, they can maximize instructional time in the classroom and library.
Professional development is vital to all educators and is embedded in the collaborative relationship between teachers and librarians (Moreillon 9). Pat, a 7th grade social studies teacher, was able to learn alongside her students through the collaborative experience with her school librarian. She adds “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum.” According to the AASL, teacher librarians are responsible for being leaders on their campus (45). One way to demonstrate this is through “creating an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, resource-based learning, and collaboration with teaching staff” (45). The teacher-librarian can provide positive learning experiences through collaboration, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
In this age of accountability, librarians are uniquely poised to have a global perspective of the entire school and curriculum objectives (Elementary Principal). Principals are held accountable for the results of the school, and they should be able to look to the librarian to for ways to assist classroom teachers in achieving academic goals. With this wide view of intended learning outcomes, the librarian is able to integrate “common strands of thought along the curriculum” (8th grade language arts teacher). According to Paula, an elementary principal, “collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ achievement.” The librarian can change the perception of his or her role as being an indispensable asset to the educational process by being proactive and reflective in forming collaborative relationships with colleagues (Johnson 2004).
Teachers and librarians must collaborate to meet the needs of students and create quality library programs, which provide a win-win situation for all stakeholders. The school librarian is the catalyst for creating this positive and productive atmosphere in a common, open area that belongs to everyone in the school community. Students, teachers, parents and administrators all stand to benefit when the library and its resources are used in a collaborative manner. When staff members foster collaborative working relationships, they ensure that all students in the community have ample opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their community and in the workplace.
The American Association of School Librarians in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (2009) outlines the standards that reflect essential skills taught in school library programs. Some of these standards include research skills, critical thinking, utilization of various resources in all formats, and the promotion of literacy (AASL 2009). Through collaboration school educators can help students meet these standards for the 21st Century so that all learners use a variety of inquiry methods to make informed decisions and apply knowledge to new situations.
Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: ALA, 2009. Print.
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B.K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf file)
Moreillon, Judi. Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.
Summary Draft 1
The teacher librarian is in a unique position to directly impact student achievement and collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists to meet academic goals. Therefore it is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills. School librarians are charged with working with all types of personalities in the school environment, and if they are going to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, their expectations, and their approach to teaching. Understanding and capitalizing on the strengths and attitudes of the school principal can also make or break the collaborative environment. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. The school librarian must also make interpersonal connections with teaching staff and with other individuals in the school community in order to build relationships that will affect change. Through collaboration, the teacher librarian can provide positive learning experiences, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
School librarians can and should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community, and for the benefit of increasing student achievement. Efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective in establishing collaborative relationships may lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process. Paula, an elementary principal, asserts “Collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ academic achievement.”
McGregor and other authors assert that many teachers are still unfamiliar with or intimidated by the librarian’s role as a collaborator. Therefore it is important that the librarian expend energy to initiate collaborative efforts and also continually reflect upon collaborative experiences in planning for the next endeavor. After completing the readings and reviewing the testimonials we reflected on what the librarians at our schools do to connect with teachers. We believe a school librarian can begin to collaborate with colleagues by initiating an open approach to build collaborative relationships. A testimonial by Kelly, a high school English student teacher, indicates that the role of the collaboration is more than just pulling books off the shelf. She comments on the importance of the teacher librarian who “helps develop guidelines for projects and remains actively engaged with the teacher in helping students to complete research or in presenting evidence of their new knowledge.”
Collaborative teaching experiences between classroom teachers, specialists, and the librarian are beneficial to student achievement because the teacher and school librarian can work together to ensure that information searches and curriculum content areas are related. Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they want to find out in the real world. The goal of teaching information literacy skills is to provide children with the means to pursue life-long learning. If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek, and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive connections and valuable contributions to the learning process.
McGregor states that initiating leadership by building collaborative relationships can be relatively simple. Ideally, the simplest connections will lead to word-of-mouth and enthusiasm among the school community. Teachers will often welcome collaborative efforts and seek additional ways for the school librarian to assist them in meeting curriculum and district learning standards.
The school librarian can:
· Visit the teachers’ lounge or have lunch with various staff members and engage in informal conversations about opportunities to work on collaborative projects.
· Initiate collaborative efforts with friends at the start of the school year, and branch out with efforts to engage new teachers as a mentoring endeavor.
· Obtain a curriculum map for each grade level to stay abreast of the content areas covered in each grade level classroom. This provides the librarian with an “anchor” from which to launch collaborative projects.
· Attend monthly grade level meetings to connect content areas being studied in a particular grade level, and gather evidence regarding student deficiencies and ways to address achievement concerns. This creates an opportunity to discuss various ways in which the school librarian can become involved in projects that may boost student achievement.
· Provide staff development with regard to new technologies and effective ways to implement their use with students. This effort is crucial in providing a support network for teachers unfamiliar with technology that is available and appropriate for classroom use.
These are just the first steps, but they are important to initiating collaboration and creating a stronger sense of collegiality in a school setting. A testimonial by Pat, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher, confirms that “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum. Diane, a high school art teacher affirms that “the teacher librarian has an impact on teacher professional development by helping the teacher integrate the research and writing process.”
As Harvey (2008) points out in “Collaboration Connections,” most careers require workers to collaborate and work with their colleagues. Johnson (2004) asserts that efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process. The learning and inquiry process needs to be consistently modeled in everyday classroom experiences. As a librarian it is imperative to collaborate with teachers and help students learn how to conduct effective research strategies. The inquiry process and information literacy skills are meant to be taught in tandem, rather than isolation. If the curriculum content lends itself to research and inquiry, the librarian needs to be proactive and begin to initiate collaborative efforts with a few teachers and branch out from there. Hopefully, more teachers will be receptive to collaborative efforts and ask for the librarian’s input and help.
Works Cited
Hartzell, Gary N. Building Influence for the School Librarian. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1994. (Needs Assessment, pp. 144-145)
Harvey II, Carl A. (2008). Collaboration connections. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(9) 2008. 20-22.
Johnson, D. (2004). Proactivity and reflection: Tools to improve collaborative experiences. Minnesota Media. Retrieved May 28, 2010 from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/collaboration-and-reflection.html.
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B. K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf)
Zmuda, A., and V. H. Harada. The Learning Specialist: Clarifying the Role of Library Media Specialists. In Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century, 2008. 23 – 43.
Summary Draft 2
Collaboration between librarians and classroom teachers has numerous benefits for students, teachers, and administrators. It is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills in order to foster effective collaborative relationships. School librarians are charged with working alongside all types of personalities on a campus. If they are to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, the students, and campus goals determined by the principal. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. Everyone in the school environment profits from collaboration, especially the students.
Students are a direct beneficiary of librarian and classroom teacher collaboration. By working and teaching together, students are able to receive more individualized attention (Kindergarten teacher - Peg). As evidenced in “Coteaching Strategies,” it also allows students to see teachers collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in the shared teaching experience, which are the skills we would like our students to have (Moreillon). We expect our students to be able to apply these skills with their peers; though they rarely get to see their teachers model it. In the collaborative experience, students get to see collaboration in action and have the opportunity to put it into practice within their group projects.
Furthermore, by connecting classroom learning to the library, students are able to delve deeper into concepts and topics being learned (Moreillon 8). Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they find out in the real world. Through collaborating with classroom teacher and working with all students, the teacher librarian is able to teach students how to find the answers to their questions, utilizing print and online resources (3rd grade teacher - Judy P.). If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive contributions to the learning process. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of students acquiring the skills they need to become life-long learners and pursuers of knowledge.
School librarians should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community, as well as the primary goal of increasing student achievement. Classroom and specialist teachers are largely unaware of the benefits of collaborating with their school librarian. McGregor suggests ways the librarian can initiate these relationships (pg?) Once a collaborative partnership is established and carried out, teachers and librarians will notice the benefits. One such benefit is having a partner to plan projects with from start to finish. In Kelly’s, a high school student teacher, experience, she had the opportunity to work with a teacher librarian on developing the ideas for a project, creating rubrics and materials, and assessing student work. For many teachers, this is usually done in isolation. Partnering with the teacher-librarian lightens the load and allows each professional to utilize his or her strengths in the project process. Additionally, collaborating with a partner allows for fresh ideas to be shared and a building upon even general ideas for lessons and projects. Such was the case with Sherri, a high school English teacher. She went to her teacher-librarian with the vague suggestion of doing digital storytelling. Her librarian was able to plan and collaborate with Sherri from the beginning to the end.
For specialist teachers, teacher-librarians can assist in creating research opportunities to complement the Art, Music, or P.E. instruction. Tracy, an elementary Art teacher, comments that collaboration “expanded instruction.” Diane, a high school Art teacher, remarks that the librarian “helps the teacher integrate research and writing processes across the curriculum.” With more demands being placed on classroom teachers and a seemingly shorter amount of time, working across the curriculum maximizes instructional time in the classroom and library.
Professional development is vital to teachers and librarians. Professional development is embedded in the collaborative relationship between these two parties (Moreillon 9). Pat, a 7th grade social studies teacher, was able to learn alongside her students through the collaboration experience with her school librarian. She adds “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum.” According to the AASL, teacher librarians are responsible for being leaders on their campus (45). One way to demonstrate this is through “creating an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, resource-based learning, and collaboration with teaching staff” (45). Through collaboration, the teacher-librarian can provide positive learning experiences, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
In this age of accountability, librarians are uniquely poised to have a global perspective of the entire school and curriculum objectives (Elementary Principal - Paula). With this wide view of intended learning outcomes, the librarian is able to integrate “common strands of thought along the curriculum” (8th grade language arts teacher - Karen). According to Paula, an elementary principal, “collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ achievement.” Principals are held accountable for the results of the entire school. They should be able to look to the librarian to see how he or she can assist classroom teachers in achieving goals. Johnson asserts that efforts by the school librarian to be proactive and reflective lead to the perception of the school librarian as being an indispensable asset to the educational process (pg.?).
Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: ALA, 2009. Print.
"3rd Grade Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=119396&title=3rd_Grade_Teacher>
"7th Grade Social Studies Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121980&title=7th_Grade_Social_Studies_Teacher>
"8th Grade Language Arts Teacher." Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125114&title=8th_Grade_Language_Arts_Teacher>
"Elementary Art Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121834&title=Elementary_Art_Instructor>
"Elementary Principal." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010.<http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121838&title=Principal>
"High School Art Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121840&title=High_School_Art_Teacher>
"High School English Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125106&title=High_School_Teacher>
"High School English Student Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125103&title=High_School_Student_Teacher>
Johnson, D. (2004). Proactivity and reflection: Tools to improve collaborative experiences. Minnesota Media. Retrieved May 28, 2010 from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/collaboration-and-reflection.html.
"Kindergarten Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121832&title=Kindergarten_Teacher>
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B.K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf file)
Moreillon, Judi. Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.
Summary Draft 3
There are numerous benefits for students, teachers, and administrators when the teacher librarian and classroom teacher work together in collaborative relationships. It is imperative that the teacher librarian be aware of his or her own learning styles and interpersonal skills in order to foster effective collaborative interactions. School librarians are charged with working alongside all types of personalities on a campus. If they are to work successfully as teaching partners, they must establish an understanding of the staff, the students, and campus goals determined by the principal. Understanding the principal’s priorities and learning how the principal operates are two factors that can have a positive effect on collaborative efforts. Everyone in the school environment profits from collaboration, especially the students.
Students are a direct beneficiary of librarian and classroom teacher collaboration. By partnering together, the teacher and librarian provide students with more individualized attention (Kindergarten teacher). As evidenced in “Co teaching Strategies,” it also allows students to see teachers collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in the shared teaching experience. These are the skills we would like our students to have, and we expect to see applied with their peers (Moreillon). In the collaborative experience, students see collaboration in action and have the opportunity to put it into practice within their group projects.
Furthermore, by connecting classroom learning to the library, students are able to delve deeper into concepts and topics being learned (Moreillon 8). Many children learn better if there is a meaningful connection between what they learn in the classroom and what they find out in the real world. By collaborating with the classroom teacher and working with all students, the teacher librarian is able to teach students how to find the answers to their questions, utilizing print and online resources (3rd grade teacher). If students know how to effectively find and access the information they seek and ethically use that information, then they are more likely to make positive contributions to the learning process. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of students acquiring the skills they need to become life-long learners in pursuit of knowledge.
School librarians should work to build collaborative relationships with classroom and specialist teachers for the good of the school community and to increase student achievement. Classroom and specialist teachers appear to be largely unaware of the benefits of collaborating with their school librarian. Teachers and librarians will notice many benefits of collaborative partnerships, such as having a partner to plan projects with from start to finish. Kelly, a high school student teacher, shared her experience of having the opportunity to work with a teacher librarian on developing the ideas for a project, creating rubrics and materials, and assessing student work. For many teachers, this is usually done in isolation. Partnering with the teacher-librarian lightens the load and allows each professional to utilize his or her strengths in the project process.
Teacher librarians can assist specialist teachers in creating research opportunities to complement the Art, Music, or P.E. instruction. Tracy, an elementary Art teacher, comments that collaboration “expanded instruction.” Diane, a high school Art teacher, remarks that the librarian “helps the teacher integrate research and writing processes across the curriculum.” There are more demands being placed on classroom teachers and a seemingly shorter amount of time allotted to meet academic standards. When teachers work together across the curriculum, they can maximize instructional time in the classroom and library.
Professional development is vital to all educators and is embedded in the collaborative relationship between teachers and librarians (Moreillon 9). Pat, a 7th grade social studies teacher, was able to learn alongside her students through the collaborative experience with her school librarian. She adds “collaborating with teachers on student projects impacts student learning and also leads to teacher instruction about how to use the library effectively to teach across the curriculum.” According to the AASL, teacher librarians are responsible for being leaders on their campus (45). One way to demonstrate this is through “creating an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, resource-based learning, and collaboration with teaching staff” (45). The teacher-librarian can provide positive learning experiences through collaboration, create effective working relationships, and provide essential resources to promote academic achievement.
In this age of accountability, librarians are uniquely poised to have a global perspective of the entire school and curriculum objectives (Elementary Principal). Principals are held accountable for the results of the school, and they should be able to look to the librarian to for ways to assist classroom teachers in achieving academic goals. With this wide view of intended learning outcomes, the librarian is able to integrate “common strands of thought along the curriculum” (8th grade language arts teacher). According to Paula, an elementary principal, “collaboration provides high quality partnerships to impact student learning, and the teacher librarian is one of the most important individuals in the school who can impact students’ achievement.” The librarian can change the perception of his or her role as being an indispensable asset to the educational process by being proactive and reflective in forming collaborative relationships with colleagues (Johnson 2004).
Teachers and librarians must collaborate to meet the needs of students and create quality library programs, which provide a win-win situation for all stakeholders. The school librarian is the catalyst for creating this positive and productive atmosphere in a common, open area that belongs to everyone in the school community. Students, teachers, parents and administrators all stand to benefit when the library and its resources are used in a collaborative manner. When staff members foster collaborative working relationships, they ensure that all students in the community have ample opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their community and in the workplace.
The American Association of School Librarians in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (2009) outlines the standards that reflect essential skills taught in school library programs. Some of these standards include research skills, critical thinking, utilization of various resources in all formats, and the promotion of literacy (AASL 2009). Through collaboration school educators can help students meet these standards for the 21st Century so that all learners use a variety of inquiry methods to make informed decisions and apply knowledge to new situations.
Works Cited
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: ALA, 2009. Print.
"3rd Grade Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=119396&title=3rd_Grade_Teacher>
"7th Grade Social Studies Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121980&title=7th_Grade_Social_Studies_Teacher>
"8th Grade Language Arts Teacher." Interview by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125114&title=8th_Grade_Language_Arts_Teacher>
"Elementary Art Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121834&title=Elementary_Art_Instructor>
"Elementary Principal." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010.<http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121838&title=Principal>
"High School Art Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121840&title=High_School_Art_Teacher>
Hartzell, Gary N. Building Influence for the School Librarian. Worthington, OH: Linworth, 1994. (Needs Assessment, pp. 144-145)
"High School English Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125106&title=High_School_Teacher>
"High School English Student Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=125103&title=High_School_Student_Teacher>
Johnson, D. (2004). Proactivity and reflection: Tools to improve collaborative experiences. Minnesota Media. Retrieved May 28, 2010 from http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/collaboration-and-reflection.html.
"Kindergarten Teacher." Interviewed by Judi Moreillon. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://teachertube.com/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=121832&title=Kindergarten_Teacher>
McGregor, J. Collaboration and Leadership. In Stripling, B.K. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (eds.), Curriculum Connections through the Library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 119-219. (pdf file)
Moreillon, Judi. Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.